Crossing time zones and touchlines: an observational survey of practitioner perceptions on travel in elite North American soccer

Travel poses a significant logistical challenge to elite North American soccer. We explored how medical and performance practitioners perceive its impact on player performance and recovery. Thirteen practitioners first completed a pre-survey to define ‘travel’ in this context. A main survey followed, involving 44 practitioners, assessing perceptions of travel-related factors such as travel duration, logistics, arrival and departure times, time-zone changes, and mitigation strategies. The survey included yes/no, Likert scale, and open-text questions. Impact was rated on a seven-point Likert scale from large negative (1) to large positive (7), with ±0.5 points from the ‘no impact’ midpoint (4) considered substantial. High internal consistency was observed for questions on overall impact, travel duration, and time-zone differences (Cronbach’s alpha 0.97 to 0.98) and mean ratings subsequently calculated for each item. Open-text responses were analyzed thematically, informed by interpretive analysis. Practitioners perceived negative impact on performance and recovery (second‑generation p‑value = 0, with 95% confidence intervals entirely outside our ±0.5‑point practical relevance zone). Most reported that cumulative travel, during congested fixture periods (98, 95% confidence intervals, 88 to 100%) and across a full season (91, 79 to 96%), had further negative impact. When travelling prior to the match practitioners clearly preferred arriving before 5 pm on matchday and returning after an overnight stay. A recurring theme in qualitative responses was the importance of minimizing disruptions to daily routines, particularly sleep. These findings highlight the need to understand the cumulative impact of travel, particularly the roles of late-night arrivals, extended journeys, and sleep disruption.